In this episode of College Admissions Decoded, we’re focusing on one of the most important, but often overlooked, parts of the college journey: the transition from high school to higher education. Getting into college is just the beginning. Helping students find their footing, their people, and their purpose once they reach campus is key to their success.
In this episode of College Admissions Decoded, we’re focusing on one of the most important, but often overlooked, parts of the college journey: the transition from high school to higher education. Getting into college is just the beginning. Helping students find their footing, their people, and their purpose once they reach campus is key to their success. Together with our expert guests, we’ll explore how to prepare students emotionally and practically, and what students can do to build support systems and a sense of belonging on campus.
Guests:
Host: Eddie Pickett, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions and Director of Recruitment at Pomona College.
Setting Your College-Bound Student Up for Success in 2025
In this episode of College Admissions Decoded, we’re focusing on one of the most important, but often overlooked, parts of the college journey: the transition from high school to higher education. Getting into college is just the beginning. Helping students find their footing, their people, and their purpose once they reach campus is key to their success. Together with our expert guests, we’ll explore how to prepare students emotionally and practically, and what students can do to build support systems and a sense of belonging on campus.
Guests:
Host: Eddie Pickett, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions and Director of Recruitment at Pomona College.
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Eddie Pickett: Hello, and welcome to the College Admissions Decoded Podcast, an occasional series from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, or NACAC. NACAC is an association of more than 28,000 professionals at high schools, colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations, as well as independent counselors who support and advise students and families through the college admission process.
I'm your host, Eddie Pickett. I'm a longtime NACAC member and former member of the NACAC Board of Directors. In my day job, I'm a senior associate dean of admissions and director of recruitment at Pomona College in Claremont, California. In this episode, we're focusing on one of the most important but overlooked parts of the college journey, the transition from high school to higher education.
If you're like me and first gen, you are thinking about getting to college, but not always through, and that through is quite important. And so getting into college is just the beginning. Helping students, find their footing, their people, and their purpose once they reach campus is key to their success.
Together with our expert guests, we'll explore what families and those who support students often miss how to prepare students emotionally and practically, and what students can do to build support systems, and a sense of belonging on campus.
Today we're happy to welcome Asia Bailey, associate program director of high schools at the College Bound Foundation. Welcome Asia.
Asia Bailey: Thank you for having me today.
Eddie Pickett: Next, I'd like to welcome Aaron Cook, senior assistant director of out-of-state recruitment at the University of Missouri, also known as Mizzou. Welcome, Aaron.
Aaron Cook: Thanks for the invite.
Eddie Pickett: Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to welcome my colleague, Josh Eisenberg, dean of campus life at Pomona College. Welcome, Josh.
Josh Eisenberg: Thanks for having me, Eddie.
Eddie Pickett: Yeah, I'm excited for this conversation. Josh and I actually did a panel at our admitted students day last week about this, and so we're excited to continue this conversation here.
So we'll start with this. So what's the number one thing you wish every family knew about the college transition that often gets overlooked? And I'll pass that to Josh, then Aaron, then Asia.
Josh Eisenberg: Thanks so much, Eddie. I appreciate the chance at this one. One of the things I found, I left higher ed for a while and I came back, and one of the things I found most surprising is that families especially, students always have transition issues, but families have been really struggling with the amount of information and their connection to their students' high school experience, and then the disconnect with their college experience. We'll talk more about this, I'm sure, but like how FERPA plays out, how you don't have access to a student's grades immediately, or how they did on that test, how you shouldn't have find my phone on as they walk across our campuses.
So I would say that's the biggest transition, especially for families.
Aaron Cook: That is absolutely spot on, Josh. And I would add, I think families often overlook that the process is very specific to this student. So they may have older students that have gone through the process and they may think things are the same from last year or two years ago, or they may think the same as when they were going through college themselves.
So it's definitely a very specific transition to the student that's going through the transition, and I think families sometimes have a hard time understanding that it's not going to be the same for every single student.
Asia Bailey: I would like to add to that. I think another service that is overlooked is the student support services that are allotted to the students. Some students come to college with a 504 plan, and they aren't aware of the student support services or the disability services that are allotted to them, and that they can inform their professors while they're in the classes to have maybe like extended time to complete tests or homework assignments.
So in my experience with working at a university as an adjunct professor, I realized that some students were aware of this, but many aren't and the families aren't. So they often have a little anxiety about making sure that they had the same amount of help they had in high school, if not more in college.
Eddie Pickett: I noticed that some people talked about students, some people talked about parents. And so we're going to do a parent question and then some student questions, and we'll get back to parents as well. And so, many parents struggle with finding the right balance between support and independence.
You know, for so long the parents have been the driver and now they're the passenger in this. And so what advice do you have for parents navigating the delicate transition?
Josh Eisenberg: I would say for parents, and the independence is one, I would start maybe right after your student is committed to a university or college sometime after May. Or wait until after commencement from high school and then start giving them those little pieces of independence along the way for them, not just you.
I told my spouse that once our son, who's now a sophomore in college after he graduated, that like we should all turn off our find my phone for him for the summer, because I'm never going to check in September when he is at college. Or, please let them do their own housing application.
Please let them do that by themselves. You cannot help them on that. Or let them choose classes. You should ask them when they're done. You should speak to them about that process. But let them have those mini moments because it will give them a greater independence. And also, to be fair, they're going to come ask you for advice.
They're going to come talk to you for that relationship, but you're going to have to start now because it's not going to get easier. Come move in day.
Asia Bailey: To add to Josh, definitely implementing the process very early on, and advocating, and having them complete the test independently. What we notice is that we love to guide our students, but sometimes we wind up doing it for them and then when they transition to college, they don't have that sense of independence.
So they have to keep calling home for assistance. And in a way, you are an adult. You know, we all wait to become grown and you're an adult now, and you have to make adult decisions. So have them implement this process very early. If they're able to enter in pre-college programs before they make it to senior year of high school, then that'll also be an easier way of transition as far as them being away from home, so they can start that process before they're just thrown into there when the fall semester starts.
Aaron Cook: Yeah, Eddie, I'm thinking at this from a financial aid angle as well. I think there are pieces where the parents assume they're going to let the students share the steer the ship, and that there will be times where they're going to take care of things.
But I think the conversation about cost of attendance has to happen earlier than it typically does. I know after doing this for 20 years, I have a lot of conversations in late March and April of the senior year where the cost of attendance is not making the best sense, pardon the pun. So I think if they can have a conversation much earlier as a partnership between parents and students on what that price point's going to look like, some of those potential financial aid pieces are going to fall into place. That's going to save a lot of heartache at the end of the college search as well.
Eddie Pickett: I want to add to what Aaron just said as well, and I would talk to parents in saying, you know, as a former high school counselor, talk about finances in the fall. So they have a sense of what range would you like to be in. You don't have to have this specific number, but in the fall, you can talk about the range.
And so when April comes and, you know, maybe that cost of attendance is too much for that family, you've already at least prepped them for this. because the worst thing I saw every single year, and I mean every year as a college counselor was a parent who said, "It's going to be okay. We're going to be fine.
We'll figure it out." And then when they get into their dream school, they can no longer go because of finances. So please have that conversation earlier. And I want to pick up on something that Asia said as well about the independence of students. And so, you know, what specific skills should students develop before arriving on campus that will set them up for success in their first semester? And we'll start with Asia there as well.
Asia Bailey: A sense of confidence first and foremost, but budgeting. Financial literacy is very important because when our students transition to college. They get their refund checks, their splurging, they're doing a lot of different things, and they have a lot more resources today when it comes to the things they have on college campuses.
So budgeting is very important. Learning and ensuring that you know how to take care of yourself. And I know this is very, very simple, but as far as you're going to be in a dorm. You may not be in a dorm by yourself. So cleaning, doing your laundry, hygiene, and actually self advocating. That is like the key thing because, again, you're in college. And you're here and your parents aren't here, so you have to be able to speak up for yourself. Be inquisitive and ask the questions that you need to ask in order to make your entire college experience the way in which you need to do it.
So if you start that process very early on as you transition to college, you're going to learn more, but you want to make sure that you have those simple life skills because it's going to take you far in how you navigate to college, how you get internships, and how you move into your career path.
Josh Eisenberg: I'll echo Asia's self-advocacy.
I think no matter the size of the institution you may be going to, it's really important that you find the resources you need, but people can't read minds. Families can read minds. I know when my student is off, or I know when my child is having a bad day. If I've just met your kid in its orientation, I won't know that they're struggling.
So they do need to have an ability to really think about how they're going to articulate their needs on that. So I echo that a thousand percent, Asia.
Aaron Cook: I think I would speak directly to the students with this and say, take the chance to say yes to new opportunities. Take that class that is outside of the box for you. Get involved in that student organization that you had no idea existed.
You're going to find your friends, your tribe in those opportunities and in those swimming lanes. And I think when I talk to students who are graduating after the four-year experience, they point back to those opportunities where they said yes to something that they weren't expecting to really kind of be in their wheelhouse.
Josh Eisenberg: And if I could jump on the end of that, Aaron. because it brings up a great point. I do a presentation for incoming students at Pomona called Just Keep Quitting, which is also teaching them how to say no to some things. And it's really hard for families who've watched maybe a student commit to something for 4, 8, 12 years and then get to college and be like, this doesn't bring me joy.
I just don't like soccer anymore. Or I was doing community service because I needed it on my resume, and I don't believe in this. And let me tell you, lots of non-profits would prefer to have people who don't care not step into those spaces. So I think it's a, I love Aaron's idea of saying yes, trying new things, and then I can't recommend enough saying no and just really making it your experience.
Eddie Pickett: Shameless plug. I love that presentation. We have it during our fall fly-in program as well, so students can hear that. It's like, "Hey, you know, your college experience is your college experience." And thinking about that as well, you know, things change quickly. Now, whether it's the pandemic till now, or for me now, I graduated in 2008 and we weren't talking about first-gen students at that point.
I didn't know what it was. I was one. But thinking about the transition and how it's changed just from the pandemic on, in what ways has a college transition process changed in recent years? And how should today's families adapt their approach?
Aaron Cook: I'll start with that, Eddie. What hasn't changed in the past several years?
You look at super scores. You look at test optional. You look at financial aid. You look at virtual tours on campus. You look at all types of different programming that the universities and colleges are doing electronically as well. And so I think the entire process has honestly changed over the past few years after the Pandemic.
We really encourage students and families: Ask all the questions of the universities. Don't assume that we're going to treat super scores the same, or we're going to all be test optional, or we've all switched back to test scores. And so we don't want any family to assume that they know the answers to the questions, and so we want them to ask everything that's on their list of every school that's on their list, so that they're getting that information side by side to make sure that they can make that great comparison when they really start going through the search.
Asia Bailey: To add to that, I definitely had down in my own notes, the SAT and ACT requirements. It does fluctuate per university or college. So just being aware of it, if it's required or not for admission purposes, and also for merit-based scholarships. Some students aren't aware that, oh, if the school doesn't require the SATs, it doesn’t mean that you don't need them to apply for institutional scholarships.
So that's very important. Also, some colleges are moving to providing more need-based scholarships than merit-based, given the climate that we're in. So it's just a matter of just being informed of that. And even student athletes. I was a past college athlete, and the requirements just to play your freshman year have drastically changed.
One, the name being the NCAA Eligibility center, and when I went through it was the clearinghouse. So something just as simple as that, that happened before the pandemic. Just being aware of the different changes and making sure that you research the school that you're interested in and all of the admissions requirements.
Josh Eisenberg: And then I'll take the third track on this, and I want to talk about communication and how that's changed, whether from institutions to individuals or families. And again, I'm talking, I'm a Gen Xer and I'm talking to my peers and also some millennials. There are no college packets. They're not mailing you things anymore.
It's in the email. And just so you know, families, I am emailing your student. I'm not emailing you. We have a parent's office, they'll do that, but they're from me to your student. They're treated like adults. And then even how the students are communicating amongst themselves as they adjust. Facebook is dead for us.
We used to have class pages. We haven't had one in several years. They're not conversing on Instagram. Discord, if you're not familiar with that, has become a new way for our students to communicate as classes. There have been Reddit threads created by classes at colleges to just connect and meet with each other.
I would just be aware that there is a lot of communication out there. You have to have communication open between your family and your students because your students are going to get things you won't know about unless you hear from them. And then also, there are just going to be things they're talking about that you don't know because you're not in that Discord group, and they're not inviting you in ever.
Eddie Pickett: Like Andre, 3000 ever, ever, ever, ever.
And thinking about that as well. So as you are getting into campus, you know, the academics are the basis of college always. And so that has to be the core. So when it comes to academic preparedness, what are the biggest adjustments students face when transitioning from high school to college level work and in the classroom as well, just timewise in the classroom because that's a big difference too?
Asia Bailey: I'll step in on this one. One of the, I guess, biggest adjustments are study habits and knowing how to actually study on a college level. Some students are going to college and have never had to study before. So learning how to one, humble yourself, like this is a different level, different curriculum, and knowing how to build those study habits.
Also with the new elements of AI, writing is definitely an adjustment for some students when entering college because, depending on what your major is, writing could be a big component, and you may not always have those AI options. and you have to know how to just write. So depending on the high school that these students transition from, if it's like a college preparatory high school, if it's a private school, or if it's a school that doesn't offer many honors or AP courses, that could be some of the biggest barriers when transitioning to college and understanding how that college work and the information that you're provided.
Aaron Cook: I'll step into a foundational skill as well. Going to class. It's so easy for a student to miss that first class and not have a parent get called that you were missing class or not have a faculty member mark you as absent. And then it's easy to do it the second time and the third time. So it's a hard trend to break once you start that trend.
And I can't tell you the number of times over two decades I've stepped into a classroom space, and I've heard a faculty member say, "Write this down. This is going to be on the test." That information's not in the textbook, so if they're just reading that textbook from the class, they're not going to do well in that test.
So going to class is half the battle as well.
Josh Eisenberg: And then mine, I believe is foundational as well, is just free time is a killer. Since I, the last 10 years, our students are so overscheduled in high school. They might go from 6:00 AM to nine or 10:00 PM, and they know that's overwhelming and stressful, but at least they know what they're doing every minute of every day.
And then they come to college, and they might have class that doesn't start till 10 on a Tuesday. Or their classes might be over at one. And a lot of our students are super inspired to be academically focused, but they'll get in their residence hall, and they'll sit there and be like, "Oh, I'm going to get all my work done."
And then someone's just like, "Hey, I just got the new switch. Would you like to play for a little bit?" And the next thing they know, six hours have disappeared. I always remind students they should have those experiences. We want them to be holistically, like social, academic and involved. But they need to figure out how they're going to manage their own free time.
Because, kind of alluding to what Aaron said, you don't have your family around to be like, "Hey, did you get your homework done?" You don't have your family around to be like, "Hey, just don't forget at two o'clock you have this meeting." So that has been a killer for a lot of students.
Eddie Pickett: To illustrate that point, you know, in high school you're in class from like eight to three or some version of that, or not in class, but on campus at least. So that's seven hours. If you take out lunch and some passing periods, you're probably going to be in class for about six hours a day over, you know, five days.
That's 30 hours a week. In college, you're probably going to be in class between 12 and 18 hours. And so the amount of time in class goes down, but the amount of work for those classes goes up too. And so that piece is, you know, not to be forgotten. So three-day weekends are a real thing.
I only had one, I had two Friday classes in college. They're both first semester, first year. So I always had at least three-day weekends. And if you're like me, my first year, you procrastinate and you wait till, you know, Sunday night to do homework. That's not the best time. So you want to chip away at that in your free time because free time isn't just free. It's actually work time too.
And so we talked a little bit about the academics, but the social part is also a big part of the transition. And so a two-parter here, kind of so you know, what strategies have you found most effective for helping students build meaningful connections and finding their community on campus?
Second part of that is, are these similar or different for first gen or underrepresented students?
Josh Eisenberg: Orientation is one of the things I work on a lot, and I want to always remind students and families. Part of it is how your even mindset's coming into the institution.
I constantly tell students that if you think orientation is going to be boring and a waste of time and stupid, it will be boring, a waste of time and stupid. You should think about the welcome week or orientation, whatever they might have at an institution. You should think of those as an opportunity to really connect with people.
I also say, don't make best friends. Just make friends and just get out there. Be in spaces. If there's a social thing, even if you're an introvert, you're going to have to push yourself a little bit. You're going to have to really get out there, and that's a way to start making those meaningful connections, at least with peers.
Also all of our institutions, whether it's a Missouri, whether it's a Pomona, whether it's a Dickinson College, whether it's an Ohio State, they're also going to have those opportunities to meet layered support. Whether that's a residence hall coordinator in your building, or it might be your academic advisor in that department.
Have those meetings, go find those people. because that helps as well. because also, there'll often know more people, so you can meet a few. And then learn from them to meet more. And for first gen and underrepresented, it’s definitely taking care of the resources. I think it's actually even harder for first-gen students because they haven't had the political capital to walk around and understand some of that stuff.
I know more and more institutions are really trying to do a good job of welcoming first gen in. I know Pomona has pride in how they've done that, but again, I think it's really trying to focus on finding what those resources are. But you have to be willing to put yourself out there. We're going to treat you like an adult, and adults don't often always get pulled into places.
Sometimes we have to push our way through and find those spaces.
Aaron Cook: Yeah, I really like to talk to high school students about their dorm room is going to be their launchpad. It's going to be their landing pad. It's going to be a place to recharge. It's not a place to live. The campus and the community is the place to actually live.
So if that means, you know, you're surrounded by other freshmen on campus, knock on a door, ask them to go to lunch. Ask them to go to dinner. They're in the same exact boat you're in, likely feeling in the same exact way you are. Don't study in your dorm room right from the get-go. Go to the library. Go to the student center.
Go somewhere out in public where you're going to see like-minded individuals for sure. When it comes to some of those social justice resources on campus, if that's important to you, make sure that they're on the campus you're looking at. So if that's the. L-G-B-T-Q Resource Center, or the Women's Center, or the Black Culture Center, or the Multicultural Center, whatever it is, make sure that those resources are there for you and go check out those resources on a college visit.
Is there a place to study within that center where you can just be, again, around like-minded people, and find those avenues of connection right away?
Asia Bailey: And to add on what's already been mentioned and which I certainly agree to, as Aaron just mentioned, being on a college campus and actually trying to determine the college fit, like what exactly are you looking for, size wise, the area in which it's in? Because going to college can be quite intimidating, especially if you've never experienced that transition before with being away from family and doing things on your own.
So you already mentioned you have to put yourself out there. Some students will say, "Well, it's boring here." But it's boring because you're in your dorm. Or it's boring because you're not being proactive in the student activities that's provided on campus. Or it's boring because you just don't want to do anything but go to class and come back in.
And this could stem from having some social anxiety. So it does take baby steps. You don't have to go straight freshman first semester year and just jump right into it. Guide your way into it slowly, and which is a way in which you're comfortable in doing so, so that you can have the best experience possible.
Because the more that you socialize and get to know things, the more you put yourself in great predicaments in order to prepare yourself. So by the time you become a senior and onto your career.
Eddie Pickett: And college can be a humbling experience too, and for lots of different ways. And so Aaron, you kind of, you know, alluded to a couple of the places they should go to.
I want to add to that list. What are some of the key campus resources families should know about to help their students learn early on?
Josh Eisenberg: I think the way to find the resources for families, uh, it's hard. First of all, I want to remind everybody all the time, I tell this all the time. All the resources are included.
Like the whole point is that they're there for you as part of your educational experience, just like the chem building is. And just like the gym. Like the writing center at a campus is there for you. Also, I remind students that we don't keep track, and your diploma is not color coded based on how you use resources.
If you never need the writing center, good for you. If you do need the writing center, I. That's great and that's what those are for. So I would one, just make yourself aware of those resources. RAs in residence hall do a really good job of making people aware of resources and it's asking a peer, rather than, you might be intimidated to ask a dean or a professor because you're afraid of how they might think about you.
I will let you know. We will think that you're asking for help like so many have before you. But if you're worried about that, find a returning student and say to them, be like, "Hey, where's the writing center?" Or "Hey, I really could use some help, which way to this?" I think that that's a way to really start using the resources. And then also, this is summer research stuff. Go on the websites. They're great at this point. Go find out what they have. Put in the search bar counseling, and it will tell you where the counseling is. Put in the search bar. Quantitative. If you're looking for, kind of, the math writing center, they're often called something like that.
Put that in. It's a team effort. And it's actually, again, families going back to the communication thing, it's actually a great way to communicate with your student and do something together so that you're not just letting them be in the room.
Asia Bailey: I agree. Be proactive and try to research these things on your own and ask questions.
Also, speak with your academic advisor because that may be a safe space in which you're speaking with them on a one-to-one level. And it can provide additional support and how you should go forward with receiving any services that you need. Student support services, it may be titled something else on various campuses, it is really a good place to go, especially for students that have the 504 plans or need additional support. That transition from high school to college. And we get this question often when we meet with some parents, when we host some events through CollegeBound Foundation: How can I ensure that my students or my child still receives the same assistance they received in high school when it comes to their learning? And we have to inform them, this is how you go about doing so, and that the professors have to abide by it. And if they don't abide by it, then you have to advocate for yourself and inform them that you're not receiving the help you require.
So it's definitely about, you really just have to be proactive, like very, very proactive in this process.
Eddie Pickett: There's also no guarantee that the 504 plan or the IEP will transition into college. And so that's another piece layered on there, is that if you have one of those plans, you have to go talk to the accessibility office or the academic resource center.
You know, Arizona has a really good center as well, but you have to actually start that process. It's not just going to transition into college. So for the last two questions, we're going to do one for parents and then one for students. And so for each of you, based on your experience, what advice would you give to parents who want to set their students up for success without overstepping their boundaries?
Asia Bailey: Let them do it. As parents and as a parent myself, we want to ensure that our child or our children have the best support and the best guidance, but we cannot coddle them to the very end. We must allow them to make some decisions on their own, and that's a part of setting the boundary between them, allowing them to step out and make these decisions, probably some mistakes, and things like that. So they're able to learn from it because we can't hold their hand the entire time when they're going through this process because they'll never learn how to fully grow up.
So I'll definitely say just baby steps because it could be hard depending on whatever circumstances that you're under. But just allowing them to build their independence slowly so that when they're in those spaces in which they have to just be an adult, they're comfortable with doing so without the help of their parents.
Josh Eisenberg: I would say have the conversations. I think when students get into a lot of difficulties is when they are having difficulties and are so afraid to talk to their families because they're afraid they're disappointing them, or they're afraid they'll let them down. So the families over the summer shut up a conversation.
What does it mean? I don't care if you think your kid never drinks. Have that conversation about what happens. God forbid things go wrong with alcohol. I don't care that your kid's a straight A student. How would, how do you want them to tell you they maybe got a C? The number of times I've talked to students who won't share with their parents because they never had a conversation that their parents are going to be okay.
I joke with students all the time that we as parents constantly are like, we just want you to be happy. And I tell students, make them prove it. So for families that want you to like have that conversation ahead time and not just say, I want you to be happy. Here's how I want you to be happy, or Here's what that means for me, for you to be happy.
It means maybe you major in art and not become a doctor, even though I'd love you to be one.
Aaron Cook: Yeah, I would piggyback on what Josh just said by saying that parents should probably do their homework to learn the calendar. So we all have our academic dates and deadlines on our calendar, and so, you know, know when the midterms are, know when finals week's going to be. So they can have those conversations where they're not coming off as hounding their students with a bunch of questions, but they're just curious and seeing how things are going. On the flip side, the social calendar, if it's a football school and you know there's a game coming up this Saturday, talk about that game that's going to be on Saturday.
Or if you have access to an events calendar and you see that there's a concert coming up, talk about what concerts they've been to, and what they may be going to the next weekend as well. So just be curious about what the calendar looks like, and I think that's going to build a lot of trust where the student, again, doesn't feel like they're being accused of something.
It just kind of builds, we're going in this together. My parents are here to support me, to know what's going on in the academic side of the house, but also my social side as well.
Eddie Pickett: And then the last question for the day is just thinking about the students as well, and I'll start my answer as well, and then I'll pass it off to Aaron, to Josh and to Asia to close us out.
But just if you could give one piece of advice to a student starting college this fall, what would it be and why? And so I think for me it's just, it's okay to be uncomfortable. Like you're going to learn so much from being uncomfortable. I'm not saying you need to be uncomfortable all the time because that's not true.
But college is going to put you in some uncomfortable moments and that is completely okay. You're going to learn a lot about yourself. You're going to learn about your peers. You're going to learn about who has your back and who doesn't have your back when you are uncomfortable. because that's when true learning happens.
And with that, I'll pass the mic.
Aaron Cook: Yeah, this is, I think, a really great question to end this on, and I would really encourage students to be prepared to start making core memories. When you look back 20 years from now, you're going to remember move-in day. You may remember that 8:00 AM microeconomic class. I certainly do, but maybe not for the best reasons.
You will remember brushing your teeth next to a stranger and finding out that you have a lot in common and you're a friend with them. So I really just say embrace what's about to happen because you're going to have some really incredible core memories start developing as soon as you step onto a campus.
Josh Eisenberg: Aaron and I apparently give same versions of the same talk. So because I constantly am reminding them of those memories, the starting advice I give to students generally: Try to focus on three things in your first semester or quarter, like academics being one thing, and then find a couple other things. I know you're going to go to an activities fair and join 23 of them, that's fine.
I'm not saying that. But really start in your first, just try to do two or three things well and enjoy those two or three things. All of you had to do a lot of stuff to get into college. I like to remind people that once you get into college, we just kind of let you go, so you might as well do those things you enjoy.
So really try to pick a couple things that would really make you happy,
Asia Bailey: And I guess to end it out, I would say follow your heart and be open. We all have these grand ideas of what we would like to go to college for. Some of us stick throughout the entire four to six years and some of us have to change it.
And if you have to change it from what you initially went to college for, it is okay because you realize that during your process that you thought that's what you wanted to do and you were introduced to something new and you can see yourself doing it. So follow your intuition and be comfortable with the decision that you choose, because at the end of the day, you'll get your degree, and if you ever choose to go back to school for grad school, you can always switch your majors to something totally different.
That's what I did, so it's okay and follow your heart.
Eddie Pickett: I am afraid. That's all the time we have today. To my guests, Asia, Aaron, and my buddy Josh on campus, thank you so much for joining me today. I hope this conversation has given our listeners the tools and insights they'll need to help students thrive in their next chapter.
And thanks to you, my friends and the audience for joining us for another great episode.
College Admissions Decoded is a podcast of NACAC, the National Association for College Admission Counseling. It's produced by Resonate Recordings. If you'd like to learn more about NACAC's mission and the college admissions process, visit our website@www.nacacnet.org. That's N-A-C-A-C-N-E-T.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and rate us on your favorite podcast app and don't forget to subscribe.
See you next time on college Admissions Decoded.